


The Melancholy of Unfinished Conversation

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Everyone could use a hug tbh, Gen, Major Illness, Major character death - Freeform, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Sick Tony Stark, Surgery, big sad, i think it turned out ok though, this is a vent fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 20:30:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20315575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Tony Stark died on a Saturday.He died with the sunrise that twentieth of July. In a hospital of all places. Not in a cave in Afghanistan, not buried in the rubble in Sokovia, not in a wormhole above New York. Not on Titan, not adrift among the stars, not in the ocean in Malibu.Tony Stark died on the twentieth of July, 2025, in a hospital room, in his sleep. With him died a part of Peter Parker.





	The Melancholy of Unfinished Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> yes, this is a vent fic. yes, people are probably ooc. either way i’m pretty happy with how this turned out. let me know what you think.

Tony Stark died on a Saturday. 

He died with the sunrise that twentieth of July. In a hospital of all places. Not in a cave in Afghanistan, not buried in the rubble in Sokovia, not in a wormhole above New York. Not on Titan, not adrift among the stars, not in the ocean in Malibu. 

Tony Stark died on the twentieth of July, 2025, in a hospital room, in his sleep. With him died a part of Peter Parker. 

-

**14 MONTHS EARLIER**

It‘s around the end of May 2024 when Peter’s official internship starts again. He’d been given time to adjust to the world that had moved on without him, but he is now excited to get back to work. 

After he’d been brought back into existence by Bruce snapping his fingers, the battle that raged on was intense. When it came down to it, Tony had attached the stones to his own gauntlet, ready to snap his fingers. Before he could, Peter Quill grabbed his hand, and Rocket, Drax, and Groot followed suit. In the seconds that followed, each Avenger, each Wakandan warrior, each hero grabbed hands until they formed one big circle. When Tony snapped his fingers, the energy was dispersed enough for everyone to get by without harm. 

Things are good. Yes, things are good. The stones are returned to their timelines, Thanos is gone, everyone is alive and well. 

Well, not everyone. Natasha Romanoff is still gone, fallen off the precipice on Vormir. Once the battle was over, an intricate funeral took place once her body was retrieved by Steve after returning the soul stone. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered along the Danube River in Budapest. 

All in all, things are well. The remaining Avengers know that Natasha didn’t die in vain. She is honored by candle-lit vigils all around the globe, ceremonies held by governments from several different countries. She would be forever known as Earth’s savior. 

As Peter walks to the Avengers Tower- yes, the one in Manhattan, the one that Tony had to re-purchase after the upstate compound was destroyed- he stops at a bakery down the street and grabs some donuts for him and Tony to eat as they work. He grabs some with sprinkles on it, because he knows those are his mentor’s favorite. 

FRIDAY opens the doors to the lab as Peter walks inside, holding the box of donuts in front of him. 

“Look what I have,” he sings. “Donuts, to fuel our brains.” He sets the box down on the table at the back of the lab. 

“Oh, kid,” Tony says, turning from his workbench to look at him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“No, it’s fine! I just wanted to get something to celebrate us getting back to work.”

“I can’t eat those, anyway,” Tony says ruefully. “Too much sugar. Doesn’t agree with me.”

Peter scoffs. “What? Since when?”

“I don’t know, since a couple months ago.” He phrases it more like a question than an answer. 

“Alright, old man,” Peter mutters, grabbing a donut and taking a bite. 

Tony points a screwdriver at him. “Hey. I heard that.”

-

A few weeks later, Peter is about to go to sleep on that June evening when he gets a call from Tony. He answers it on the second ring, ready for a mission. 

“Hey, kid,” Tony says. “Listen, I need to cancel our lab time for next week. Gotta have my gallbladder removed. You can come and spend time in the intern labs if you want, just not my personal one.”

“Oh, okay,” Peter replies. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Of course. I’ve fought aliens before, it’s going to take a lot more than gallstones to kill me.”

Peter chuckles. “Right. If you need anything let me know.”

They hang up and that next week is boring for Peter. He does spend some time in the intern labs, but he receives glares from most of them, hearing whispers of how he’s Tony’s favorite, or how he gets special treatment that he doesn’t deserve more than any of the other interns. He stops going, after that. 

On Monday afternoon the following week, it’s raining. Tony promised to pick Peter up from his apartment after his follow-up visit from his surgery, so Peter waits under the awning outside the door of his apartment building. 

Twenty minutes pass. Thirty. Forty. 

He texts Tony. 

**Peter: ** _hey, are you coming? _

**Peter:** _or do you need to cancel?_

After several minutes, he finally gets a reply. 

**Tony: ** _I need to cancel. _

Peter texts back a quick ‘okay’ and heads back upstairs. He doesn’t ask why, but there’s a sort of queasy feeling in his stomach that something isn’t right. He sits down on the couch in the empty apartment and ruminates on it all afternoon. 

-

Tuesday comes around and Peter is on his way to the tower once more. He finds Tony in the lab once again, and smiles widely as he approaches. His smile falls when Tony turns around. He looks tired. Worn. The man puts a smile on his face, and it’s the most forced smile Peter has ever seen. 

“Come here,” Tony says, patting a chair next to his workbench. “I want to talk to you.”

That queasy feeling comes back with a vengeance, and Peter gulps, walking towards the stool. He sits, and Tony is quiet for a moment before speaking. 

“So I went to the doctor yesterday,” he said. “Thought they would just check my incision and send me on my way, but... Turns out they had news.” He pauses. “Bad news.” 

Peter can feel the color draining from his face as his heart thrums in anticipation. “What is it?”

Tony speaks quietly. “Gallbladder cancer.”

Any breath Peter has left is gone now, and he’s trying his best not to cry, willing his tears not to fall. Somehow he holds it together, and they don’t. 

“They got all of it,” Tony says. “But they want to go back in next week and take out some extra lymph nodes, and part of my liver that it was touching.” Peter looks at the floor, catching his breath. Tony puts a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’ll be fine. After that they want to do some chemotherapy to make sure it’s all gone- apparently it’s some super rare type I’ve got. You know me, always an overachiever.”

He says that last part with a chuckle and a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes. Peter can tell he’s scared. This is something he can’t fix on his own, something he can’t fight his way out of with brute force. This is something his suits can’t protect him from. 

“I’ll be fine,” Tony reiterates. “I promise.”

Peter nods, sniffs, then looks up at him. “Yeah... Yeah, you’ll be fine.”

“What I need from you,” Tony says. “Is something very, very important.”

“What is it? Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

“I have sixty-four interns signed up to work on an event for SI,” Tony begins. “The event is to benefit families displaced by the blip. Food, live music, the whole shebang. Pep’s going to be with me after my procedure, and I want you,” he says, jabbing a finger at Peter’s chest. “To manage the event. The interns, the caterers, the sound people- everyone.”

“W-What? I- Uh... Me? Won’t there be, like... hundreds of people there?”

“Yes,” Tony says, and Peter wonders how he can be so relaxed.

“Isn’t this really important? Are you sure you want me in charge of it?”

“That’s precisely _why_ I want you in charge of it.”

“Don’t you have other people? More- More experienced people?”

“I can’t think of anyone better for the job,” Tony says matter-of-factly. “Plus, it’ll be good practice for when you take over the company.”

Peter feels himself blanch. “When I- When I-“

“Now do you want me to explain what to do or not?”

The boy gulps. “Sure.”

-

The event is on a Wednesday. Peter gets up early and gets his suit ready before heading over to SI. He has a notebook in hand, pages upon pages of notes on what Tony said to do. Make sure the food is served at six, no earlier, no later. Locations of supplies. Times that different people are supposed to arrive. The works. 

Things go smoothly for a while. Peter makes sure everything is in order, finds a missing auxiliary cord for the band, instructs the interns to get different things ready. 

It doesn’t go completely awry, per se, but Peter gets overwhelmed when the guests begin to arrive. People he’s only ever read about in newspapers come up to him and greet him, congratulate him on the successful evening so far, compliment him on his maturity. 

There does come a problem, though. It’s Rhodey who tells him. 

“Man, we’re completely out of wine glasses,” he says. “Completely. I’ve looked everywhere.”

Peter starts to sweat. “Uh- how many do we need?”

“Seventeen.”

“You checked the lower cabinets too?”

“Everywhere,” Rhodey reiterates. 

“Uh- Okay... Okay... I don’t know, uh...”

“Kid,” the man says, grabbing his shoulders. “You’ve gotta know. You’re in charge here, we’re all doing what you say.”

Peter closes his eyes for a second and breathes. 

“Okay, I got it,” he says. “Tony has a huge wine glass collection in the penthouse. You and I both have access, right?” Rhodey nods. “Okay, lets go then.”

Crisis averted. They retrieve the wine glasses and give them to people who are only slightly put off about having to wait for their drinks. 

The next time Rhodey comes up to Peter, he brings another anxiety-inducing statement. 

“I was thinking you could go up and address the official statement about Tony’s cancer,” he says. “These guys are all wondering, and I figured you should say a few words anyway, since this is your event.”

His event? Peter’s event? He didn’t want to do this in the first place! He didn’t sign up to be a public speaker! He can barely give a presentation to a class of thirty high school students, let alone a room full of millionaires!

“O-Okay,” he says, and he doesn’t know why he agrees, maybe it’s the pressure of not wanting to let Tony down in his time of need. “What am I even supposed to say?”

“Say something about you, and your internship, and why Tony chose you to do this,” Rhodey says. “Then tell them how Tony’s recovery is going. You got this.”

Rhodey runs up on the stage and the music dies out, drawing everyone’s attention. 

“Good evening, everyone,” he says. “I hope you’re enjoying your meals. I’d like to introduce the man who made this whole evening possible in the absence of the Starks, the whole reason why we didn’t cancel this shindig.” The use of the word ‘shindig’ elicits chuckles from the audience. “Peter Parker, Stark Industries youngest, and possibly most brilliant, intern.”

Peter shakily walked into the stage and shook Rhodey’s hand. The man nodded to him reassuringly and handed him the microphone. 

“Hey- Uh, Good evening,” he began. He took a breath, steadying himself. “As Mr. Rhodes just said, I’m an intern at SI. This normally consists of mediocre lab work, but in my case Tony has decided to seek me out and put me in charge and force me into public speaking.” He’s rewarded by scattered laughs, and he chuckles breathily. “Speaking of Tony, I wanted to give an update on his recovery. He’s recovering well, and Mrs. Stark has actually been able to get him to rest so far, which is a miracle in my book.” More laughter. “We all know how determined and stubborn Tony is. He’s not going to let this get him down, especially with your continued support. Thank you.”

Peter leaves the stage and the music starts up again. Rhodey claps a hand on his shoulder. 

“Damn, you did great, kid,” he says. “I took a video and I’m sending it to Tony. He’ll be so proud.”

Peter smiles as Rhodey walks away. He sure hopes Tony is proud. 

-

The next time Peter sees Tony is the next week. He’s walking into the lab and the man turns around to look at him from his workbench. The first thing Peter sees is how he’s already lost weight. His attention is diverted from that by Tony’s smile. 

“Hey, kid!” Tony stands and starts to approach him. “I hear you did amazing at the gala. What did I tell you?” He wraps an arm around Peter’s shoulders. 

“That I’d do fine,” Peter says with a smile. 

“Exactly.”

Tony leads them back to the workbench and hands him a few things to tinker with. 

“How are you feeling,” Peter asks. 

“Eh, I’ve had worse,” Tony replies with a smile. “Just glad it’s over with.”

The man stands and goes to the other side of the lab, and Peter continues to recalibrate his webshooters. He gets a bad feeling and looks over just as Tony is attempting to lift a box that looks way heavier than a gallon of milk, which is the typical lifting limit post-surgery. 

“Ah- Hey!” Peter yells, running over to where Tony is. He grabs the box away from him. “No,” he says. “Nuh-uh. No.”

Tony quirks an eyebrow at him. “I’m not a dog, Parker.”

“Sure. Now where do you want this?”

His mentor sighs and points over to the workbench. Peter brings it over and they continue to work until Peter has to leave. 

-

Tony cancels more lab days after that. The next thing Peter hears is that he’s getting a central line placed, and during the placement he’s admitted overnight for low blood oxygen levels. He texts Tony his well wishes, but doesn’t overdo it because he’s sure his mentor needs to rest. 

Then he hears when Tony starts chemotherapy. By that time he’s started using the intern labs again, because he can’t get behind on his projects just because Tony isn’t there with him. 

He doesn’t see Tony or hear anything from him for a while after he begins treatment. No one does. The only people who see Tony are Pepper, Morgan, Happy, and Rhodey, and the adults give Peter updates as much as they can. 

The treatment is hard on Tony. His hair, surprisingly, doesn’t completely fall out, but it thins, making him look ten years older. He continues to lose weight and Pepper tells him there’s days he can’t make it to the workshop at all. 

The next time Peter sees Tony in person is after he finishes chemotherapy and radiation. It’s Christmas- yes, several weeks without seeing each other. Peter and May are invited to the tower for dinner on Christmas Eve with the other avengers and their families. Clint is there with his wife and kids, Ant-man is there with his daughter, Thor and the Guardians are there as well. 

When Peter first sees Tony, he’s almost surprised. His hair seems to have grown back substantially and he doesn’t look nearly as bad as Peter expected him to. A bit worn, a bit thinner, but altogether he doesn’t look like his body has spent the last few months trying to kill him. 

Tony hugs him tight, and Peter clings onto him, willing his eyes to stop watering. 

“You been behaving, kid?”

Peter smiles even wider. “That depends, what do you consider ‘behaving?’”

Tony laughs and slings an arm around him, leading him towards the table. He and May sit between Pepper and Rhodey around the big table, and Tony sits at the head of the table, on Pepper’s other side. 

“Alright, guys,” Tony says, standing up at his seat. “I’m glad you all could come today. It really means a lot that you’d travel out here in the snow to be with us. Pep and I figured it would be nice to spend the holidays this year with family, especially since we’re all back together now. 

“As you guys know, I’ve been having some health issues, and things are still sort of in the air right now, but I want us all to forget that tonight. We’re just going to have a good time and forget that life even has an ending.” He picks up his wine glass and holds it up. “To family.”

“To family,” everyone responds, and the feast begins. 

Peter does forget about Tony’s illness that night. When he opens up his package from Tony and sees the brand new, high tech computer, he feels like his homemade card is insufficient, but his mentor assures him otherwise. For that moment, everything seems to be fine. It seems like it’s going to be okay. 

-

Peter isn’t braced for what happens next. 

New years is good. Spring begins and before long it’s exam season, and Peter is running on pure adrenaline as he tries to cram studying, patrolling, and normal homework and chores into his schedule. 

Tony calls him one night in May, just before he goes to bed. 

“Heya, kid,” Tony says, and the tone of his voice scares Peter.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Tony sighs. “I want to tell you before you hear it from anywhere else.”

“What? What is it?”

“There’s some... some small tumors on my liver,” Tony begins. “The tumors are blocking some stuff, so they’re placing a stent that’ll drain bile into a bag outside my body.”

Peter is quiet for a second. “Oh. Are you going to be okay?”

“That’s the other thing,” Tony says. “My doctors... They’re stumped. They say it’s spread too far, the type of cancer I have is too rare, and I’ve run out of treatment options.” He pauses. “They want to put me on palliative care.”

Peter can’t hold in his gasp. “But- But Tony-“

“Hold on, Pete,” the man interrupts. “I didn’t say I was accepting that answer. Pep and I have been searching and we think there’s another option. It’s a clinical trial using immunotherapy.”

“Well- Well that’s great then,” Peter stutters. “You have to do it.”

“I’m going to,” Tony says. “But... I’d have to move to Cleveland.” 

Peter is quiet once again and Tony continues. 

“Once my doctors here place the stent, I’ll be going up to Ohio and staying there until this treatment is done. They’re placing the stent in the morning and I don’t know if I’ll have the time to say goodbye to you properly before we leave. I just... I guess I just wanted to call you and tell you, so it doesn’t feel like I’m just disappearing on you or anything.”

Peter looks down at his feet, feeling tears fall down his nose and onto his pajama pants. 

“Okay,” he says. “Uh... Yeah, I’m glad you’re going. I hope it all works out.”

“Me too.” A pause. “I’ve gotta go, this is the last time I’ll be able to eat before surgery. Love you, kid.”

“Love you too, Tony.”

-

Things don’t get better. 

Not long after Tony, Pepper, and Morgan leave for Cleveland, Peter gets the updates on Tony’s declining health. 

High bilirubin. Jaundice. Confusion. Several stent replacement surgeries. Liver failure. 

It’s on July fourteenth that he walks into his apartment from being at the library with Ned, and May is sat on the couch with an upset look on her face. 

“What’s wrong,” Peter asks, because he can just feel that somethings horribly awry. 

May pats the seat next to her and he sits, letting her put a hand on his knee. 

“Pepper said that she and Tony were on their way back to their apartment from his immunotherapy treatment today when he started feeling ill,” she begins. “Tremors, confusion... They went straight to the emergency room and... Peter, he’s nearing the end of his life now.”

The boy gulps, averting his gaze. It’s not possible.

“Tony Stark has fought aliens,” Peter whispers. “Killer robots, gods... This can’t be it. He can’t die from some stupid cancer.”

May runs a hand through his hair. “Sweetie, he’s really not doing well. They don’t expect him to make it through the night.”

Peter lets a stray tear fall, quickly swiping it away. “Okay,” he says, and that’s all he can get out before going straight to bed. He’s feeling so many emotions he can’t decipher between any of them. On one hand, Tony deserves to rest, Peter knows, but on the other hand, he can still do so much. There’s so much left for him to do- raise his daughter, scare away her boyfriends, walk her down the aisle. 

After lying awake for hours, staring at the ceiling with so much emotion he feels numb, Peter succumbs to sleep. 

When he wakes the next morning, he expects to hear that Tony has passed. He’s wrong. Tony is still alive, though just barely, and he stays that way for days. 

There’s a rumor that he had a sudden incline in his health, and Peter believes it at first, before a statement is issued that the rumor is false and he’s still at death’s door. 

Peter first sees the news on Twitter, posted by Stark Industries. 

“It is with shattered hearts that we inform you that Tony Stark, son of Stark Industries founder Howard Stark and wife to CEO Pepper Stark-Potts, passed away this morning after a courageous battle with cancer. We are proud to have known him in his short time and intend to carry on the legacy he’s left with Stark Industries. Please keep his family and close friends in your thoughts.”

Peter breaks down right in the middle of his empty apartment. 

-

Tony’s memorial is that Saturday. 

The man planned it himself, complete with bouncy houses and cotton candy for the kids, and alcohol served for the adults. 

In his illness-addled state, he demanded that his memorial be a party. One with live music and food and smiles. 

The service begins at five on Saturday afternoon at the ruins of the old Avengers Compound. When Peter and May arrive, they walk past inflatables until they reach the stage, which is surrounded by white chairs. 

When the service starts, Rhodey is the first to speak. 

“Tony and I went to MIT together,” he begins. “He was crazy young, but crazy smart at the same time. Aced all his classes without even trying while the rest of us were struggling to keep up. On the other hand, people would always hold his age against him at parties and refuse to give him booze, which would result in him making that angry face that you all know- yeah, that’s the one!” He points to someone in the crowd that Peter can’t see. “Anyway, he was ahead of his time in a lot of areas. His innovation with nanotechnology, his creation of a strong armor that you all know as Iron Man... I could never keep up with him. He was always ten steps ahead of me.”

Rhodey looks at his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Tony had this way of making people better that isn’t as nice as it sounds. He would basically force people to improve- whether it be in school or just as a person. I remember when I first became War Machine, once I got into it I couldn’t back out. Tony was always keeping me on my toes, wondering when the next world ending catastrophe would be.” Rhodey laughs. “Those of us who Tony influenced to be better, to try and keep up with him... I feel like the best way to honor his legacy is to keep being better, keep going forwards. Never backwards.”

Rhodey walks off the stage and more people speak- Steve, Bruce, Thor... Eventually Pepper goes up, as well. She looks... Surprisingly okay. She doesn’t look tired, she doesn’t look like she’s about to cry like Peter is. 

“Hello, everyone,” she says. “Thank you for coming. I invited each of you because I know you’ve all been touched by Tony in some sort of way. He had some weird ability to have an affect on everyone he came in contact with. Around mid-June, Tony started having more issues with his memory. Regardless of what he could or couldn’t remember, Tony had a sort of cynicism to him that enabled him to make light of dark situations. I always said it was a coping mechanism, but now I think it was just part of who he was.

“There were times that he didn’t know who I was, or even his own name, and he would still crack jokes. I’m telling you all this because that’s how I want you to remember my husband. He was witty, charming, and a pain in the ass. He could be so frustrating sometimes, but he was a wonderful husband and father.” Pepper pauses. “Tony was also Iron Man. This was a part of him that I resented once upon a time, but now I’m thankful for it. He saved lives left and right and that’s a part of his legacy as well. 

“I think we can all be like Iron Man if we try. We can all help make the world a better place, one life at a time.”

She pauses once again, looking at her feet. 

“The band will come up now, and everyone is dismissed to get food and let the children play. In an hour we’ll meet back here for a balloon release.”

The band has mounted the stage behind her and starts playing as soon as she gets off. Peter and May stand and make their way towards the part of the stage by which Pepper stands, accepting everyone’s condolences. They wait until the crowd dissipates a bit before approaching her. 

Pepper scoops Peter into a gentle hug, then hugs May as well. 

“I’m glad you guys could make it,” she says, and she’s smiling, which only makes Peter think of her as even stronger than he already did. He’s holding back his own tears, and wonders what gives him the right to cry when Pepper isn’t, even though she’s lost her husband. 

“How are you,” Peter asks over the music. 

The woman nods, smile staying in its place. “Really good, actually. I thought this would be harder, but I think he was satisfied with what he’s done. I think it was time for him to rest.”

Peter let’s a tear slip and nods, smiling as well. “Yeah. He deserves to rest.”

They embrace once more and Peter moves away, watching the band play Led Zeppelin and Def Leppard covers. He can hear May talking to Pepper behind him. 

“I’m so thankful for the affect Tony had on Peter,” May is saying. “He’s just grown so much since meeting him.”

“He really liked having Peter around,” Pepper says. “I think their lab days were his favorite part of the week.”

He tunes them out after that, listening to the band play. 

About an hour later, everyone meets back by the stage and six hundred balloons are passed out. Peter holds a red one, which he thinks is ironic. Red, one of the colors of the Iron Man suit, and one of the colors of the Spider-man suit. Something they had in common, something that represents the bond they shared. 

There’s a count down from ten and upon reaching zero, everyone releases their balloons into the sky as the band plays another song. Though Peter is filled with emotion, he doesn’t cry. He’s not sad, no, though he misses Tony he knows he’s no longer in pain. That he’ll never have to fight again. That he got the life he deserved, with a wife and a daughter and a lake house. As the song goes on, Peter watches the balloons disappear in the distance. 

Caves in Afghanistan, wormholes above New York. Exploding mansions in Malibu and garages in Tennessee. Exploding cities and killer robots. Airport battles, bunkers in Siberia, a shield embedded in armor. Howard Stark’s greatest creation, drifting about in space. A snap of the fingers, dust, death,  _life_ . 

** _My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies_ **

** _Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die_ **

** _I can fly my friends_ **

** _The show must go on_ **

** _The show must go on_ **

** _I'll face it with a grin_ **

** _I'm never giving in_ **

** _On with the show_ **

**Author's Note:**

> the song at the end is ‘the show must go on’ by queen. thank you for reading!!!


End file.
